Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-10-29
THE MORAL RACKET.
Mr.. MGREGOR'S IUBA OF REFORM IN CITY
POLITICS.
Attention Called 10 The Little Measure he Offered In
the First Branch Of Council, LAST Tuesday
Evening, the Same Being Very
Promptly Squslchea.

Funny things in politics?
Well, rather. Take that resolution by
Mr. McGregor as an example.
The one offered in the First Branch oil
Council, last Tuesday evening, and which
was adopted by the Republicans Of that
body and squelched by the members IN
the lower House, across the corridor.
The whole town has been in grin over
it for three days.
Mr.. McGregor,' with few other disin-
terested Republicans, seems to want to
purify" politics. They want small
measure of Reform" Not enough to 20
clear around, but about sufficient to keep
their present grip on the municipal loaves
and fishes, and, if possible, catch few OF
the offices that are at present in the keep
ing of Democrats. This, they imagine,
can best be done by throwing net, in the
shape of an ordinance, over the heads OF
the police. The Republicans have it In"
for the police anyhow, you know. The
police are Democrats. Mr.. McGregor's
idea took this shape in Council:
"Resolred, That the Committee on Or
dinances be and are hereby directed to pre-
pare and report TO the Council an Ordi-
nance making it unlawful for the Sergeant
Of the City or any of his deputies to inter
fere or in any way use their influence for
or against any candidate, at any election
or primary held in this city"
That would be nice 1t would materi-
ally aid Republican TO climb into the
office at the expiration OF Chief Smiths
term. That would be Reform" within
the meaning of the Republicans. But how
far it would be from actually purifying
politics. 1t would throw down the bars.
How the fremen would hustle! They
would have no organized opposition, and
the scenes at the recent city election,
when firemen went without their sleep to
make votes for Thomas D. Ben
Lett and others on the Repuhi'
can ticket, would be repeated on a
very extensive scale. But it may be said
that the rules OF the Police aud Fire
Board would step in and keep the MEM
beers of the department Straight. Would
they? Why wasn't something of this
kind brought to bear on the tiremen last
winter? To be sure these rules were at
tempted to be sprung upon some Of the
police force Just after the city election by
one or two Councilmen who had revenge
in their eve, but the thing never amounted
to anything. People saw it wouldn't
work. Imagine the fOlishness, for instance,
of providing by law that Chief CT Police
may be eligible for a second term, and
then tying his hands with an ordinance
such as Mr.. McGregor has in his mind
He could he candidate if he wanted to
be, but If he tried it on, of went his head
The Republicans will have to study up
some more plausible scheme than the late
resolution of Mr.. McGregor if they want
to make move which will count for some
thing. If it's Reform they're after, let
them provide that man shall not
he eligible for reelection to any mu'
nicipal office, and then instruct the Com
mittee on Ordinances" to draw up doc
ument which shall not only cover 1.-THE
Sergeant Of the city, or any OF his.depu
ties" but the Chief of the. Fire Depart
ment and his men as well. Such an ordi-
nance would have an air of responsibility
and fairness about it. 1t would mean
something. The resolution of last Tues
day evening was not even Ingenious. The
Second Branch did well to step on it.